The solar industry in Tennessee is strong and growing, but will need support from the state to continue on that trajectory, according to a report from the Tennessee Solar Institute.

The Institute was created in April of 2010 to evaluate and support economic development in the solar industry for the state, said group director John Sanseverino.

“Part of our charter was to develop this study,” Sanseverino said. “It was part of our initial mandate.

The Institute’s report reveals that more than 6,400 Tennessee residents are employed in the solar field and that the state produces enough new solar panels annually to power 1,300 homes.

“No one really knew how many solar jobs there were in the state,” Sanseverino said. “And no one knew what the makeup was of solar companies.”

There are more than 300 businesses and nonprofits working in the solar industry, according to the report. Of those, 174 are private corporations.

The industry is growing rapidly with 33 new solar endeavors since 2008 and 15 of those in the last year.

One of the most striking things, however, is that many of the biggest businesses in Tennessee’s solar industry are not startups but are instead established businesses that have switched from making some other product to manufacturing solar panels and components.

AGC Flat Glass is one example.

“That company is 90 years old,” Sanseverino said. “They made auto contoured glass. They’ve switched to solar glass.”

That’s not the only company that’s moved away from old products.

Sharp now employs more than 500 people in Tennessee building solar panels where half that many workers used to manufacture televisions before the transition started in 2003.

“These companies are continuing to grow as the solar industry grows,” Sanseverino said.

The Tennessee Solar Institute reported that providing an able and educated workforce will be key to maintaining and attracting solar businesses. Training programs are part of the Institute’s mission.

As long as the state continues to support the solar industry, there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue to grow, Sanseverino said.

“Tennessee has a good business climate for solar,” he said. “”It’s easy to ship to most anywhere from here, and we have the right workforce.”

Hemlock Semiconductor recently announced that it would be opening a plant in Tennessee that will employ hundreds of people.

Image courtesy of the Memphis Daily News.